Not a detective

Page 118

This guy is still angry.

"That's all I'm saying, but don't suddenly jump into the sea, or you'll be the first to drown—"

As Asakawa Riku was speaking, he suddenly turned around and was shocked to see Hoshino taking a step forward and climbing the railing on the deck.

The white hem of her skirt brushed past the corner of his eye, about to fall.

Summer of the Crimson Ray: Chapter Eight - A Shattered Dream

"Are you crazy?"

Asakawa Riku caught her with lightning speed.

His movements were steady and precise, preventing Xingyu from vaulting over. He controlled the immense force so that it wouldn't hurt, but it also prevented her from breaking free.

To be precise, unless the other person is wearing a prosthetic leg like Chizuko, they cannot break free.

"Want to try? I'm wearing a swimsuit and I've never swum in the sea before. Maybe I'll melt if I jump in."

Xingyu, however, continued to joke around with a grin.

There were traces of her school swimsuit hidden under her skirt; no wonder she wasn't afraid of exposing herself while standing so high.

Asakawa Riku said seriously, without letting go of his hand, "I won't let you jump."

Jumping off the side of a cruise ship—let alone the height—would definitely result in serious injury if you were caught in the hull. How could you joke about something like that?

"Oh, Asakawa-kun is clearly indifferent to me. What if I jump down where you can't see me?"

"Then I'll fish you out."

"Jump again?"

"We'll pull them out again, no matter which trench they fell into."

"Ha ha……"

Hoshino covered her mouth and laughed, but she seemed to have calmed down and jumped back onto the deck from the railing, so Asakawa Riku also let go of her hand.

"Asakawa-kun has suddenly become quite glib, but... in that case, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

In the darkness of the night, it was as if one could see her deep blue eyes through her contact lenses.

Just like the color of the sea.

"If I ever truly lose my way, could you rescue me, just like you pulled me out of the sea, just like you rescued Miss?"

Xingyu's soft words echoed in the night sky, but they were only spoken to him.

"Have you encountered any difficulties?" Asakawa Riku asked.

"No... I just want a promise. It's not just the young lady who wants to meet her prince; even a lowly maid dreams of that."

She lifted her skirt, slightly bent her knees, and performed an elegant and standard curtsy.

Asakawa Riku held her hand:

"Sure, if I can do it."

"Asakawa-kun, you are such a kind person."

...

After saying goodbye to Hoshino, Asakawa Riku went to the ship's restaurant, hoping to get something to eat, but unfortunately it was too late and there were no chefs left.

Fortunately, there were some bread, canned food, instant noodles and other things that could be taken freely. Although they were a bit meager, we still managed to eat a little to fill our stomachs.

As he ate, he didn't know why he suddenly said those embarrassing things, and now that he thinks about it, he suddenly feels a little ashamed.

Actually, he wasn't familiar with Xingyu; before this, they were just colleagues and classmates. Xingyu was indeed a beautiful girl her age, no less so than her master, Moyue. Although not as tall, she had a standard figure, with slender legs just beneath her skirt, fair and delicate skin, and a pretty face—to be honest, she was quite adorable.

Even compared to the entire grade on the ship, there wasn't a girl prettier than her.

However, Asakawa Riku didn't really have any emotional foundation to cultivate with her. The two didn't meet many times, and their conversations were usually businesslike, not ambiguous.

The subtle conversation that just happened seemed to occur naturally in the atmosphere.

"why?"

It's incredible how quickly the atmosphere of being alone with someone under the night sky on the deck can bring two people closer together.

Atmosphere is such a wonderful thing.

Riku Asakawa couldn't find the answer. After finishing his meal, he returned to his room.

I then realized that Haoji had already returned. The guy was sprawled out on the edge of the bed, snoring loudly. He was a terrible sleeper.

"...How did it get like this?"

Whether he was sleeping like this or was flipped over by the rocking boat, Asakawa Riku had no choice but to pick him up and throw him back onto the bed, and then he prepared to wash up and rest himself.

When I looked at the time, it was almost midnight. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten.

Actually, Asakawa Riku had planned to stay up all night to finish reading "Summer of the Red Ray", but he wasn't the only one resting in the room, and he was afraid of disturbing Haoji's sleep if he turned on the light.

Never mind, there are still two days of sailing left, we can see what happens then. He secretly kept guessing and looking forward to the ending, and after he finished packing, he lay flat on the bed.

That night, Asakawa Riku had a dream he hadn't had in a long time.

He dreamt that the ship he was on also sank into the sea. On the boundless ocean, he swam at top speed to save people one by one, but there were too many students and he could not save them all by himself. The more he tried to save everyone, the less he could save anyone. He was the only one struggling and felt utterly desperate.

He dreamt that in his despair, a huge island suddenly rose from the sea, lifting everyone up like a hand, as if the gods of the sea had answered his prayers. So everyone was saved, and no one died in the shipwreck. It was a wonderful and inspiring ending, and everyone couldn't help but cheer, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere.

He dreamt that his classmates were cheering and dancing around him. Their postures and language suddenly changed strangely, like a rusty robot emitting a hoarse recording. Their movements were stiff and distorted, and they hummed unknown songs. The joyful atmosphere of being rescued vanished instantly, and everyone stared at him, which was unsettling.

He dreamt that he escaped the island, but the island seemed to come alive, relentlessly chasing him. He wanted to get away from those strange classmates, but no matter how he swam into the sea or which direction he swam, an island would appear beneath him. He couldn't touch the seawater; no matter where he went, it was always land. Everything around him was chasing him, like a shadow.

He dreamt that he became the village chief, a villager, the protagonist, and a slave. His memories changed rapidly as he lived through one year, two years, four years, and ten years. His identity kept changing, but everything around him remained the same. He experienced countless lives and countless developments, but the future direction was already predetermined and could not be changed.

He dreamt that no matter how things unfolded, in the end, they would always arrive at that festival. On that ominous night, cicadas chirped all night long, and there seemed to be the scent of wolves in the shadows of the trees. People's shadows were often very long. He would always forget what happened at the festival, because when he woke up, he would be reborn.

He dreamed of the island.

I dreamt of the sea.

I dreamt of a blonde girl.

I dreamt of a village.

I dreamt of endless time.

I dreamt of a deity.

I dreamt of endless lines.

In this dream, Asakawa Riku cannot stop his pursuit. He can wake up at any time, but his gaze is drawn to the bizarre and dazzling scenery, making it impossible for him to stop.

He knew that these inexplicable and illogical worlds were mostly caused by his reading during the day, where the strange content of the books interfered with his subconscious and thus evolved into dreams.

But he resolutely walked into the sea, into the islands, into this cycle of reincarnation.

So, the moment he truly woke up—

He found himself standing on the beach.

Summer of the Crimson Stingray: Chapter Nine - Desert Island

"what?"

Asakawa Riku involuntarily uttered the same sound as the MC villagers.

He looked around and saw beaches everywhere, facing the endless sea, with dense jungle behind him.

Is this Hawaii?

He didn't think so. Before coming, he had seen many videos and pictures of Hawaii. It seemed that the beaches there had been developed and wouldn't be in such a pristine state. Moreover, Hawaii in the summer was always packed with tourists, parasols, and swimsuits. But here, there was no one, only him standing there, wondering what had happened.

Calm down and think about it.

Asakawa Riku steadied his breathing and then began to observe his own condition.

He was soaking wet, his hair was half-dry from being exposed to the sun, but his clothes were still clinging to his body, and the water inside his shoes and socks was particularly uncomfortable, so he had to take them off.

As he wrung out the seawater from his socks, he sat on the beach and a terrible thought popped into his head.

...Could it be that last night's dream wasn't entirely a dream?

Asakawa Riku stood up and looked out at the endless coastline, but no matter how wide he looked, he couldn't see any trace of the cruise ship.

Perhaps they really did experience a shipwreck last night, and their ship sank.

What about the students, teachers, and sailors? Were they saved?

He saw no one, as if he were the only person on the island.

The shipwreck likely occurred late last night, when most people on board, including himself, were asleep. So most people probably didn't even realize what was happening before they drowned.

Only Asakawa Riku, still possessing a high level of muscular instinct in his sleep, his survival instinct took over his body, and he forcibly swam to the nearest land.

Is that really the case?

Asakawa Riku could only pray that such a thing wouldn't happen; he didn't want his classmates, teachers, or Hoshino to die.

Since things have come to this, we can only try to find a way out first, and then try to contact salvage and maritime rescue services. Maybe someone is adrift at sea in a lifeboat.

Without hesitation, he put on his shoes, turned around, and walked towards the dense jungle behind him. The weeds had carved out an inconspicuous path, indicating that he wasn't the only one who had been there.

This is not a deserted island; there are people on this island.

When Asakawa Riku first woke up on the beach, he immediately realized that this was neither a dream nor a hallucination.

Because of what happened last summer, he was wary of anything unusual, always cautious about such phenomena. But this time, he was certain it was real; he had indeed ended up on this strange, unknown beach. There was no fabrication involved; everything had truly happened.

It wasn't the Baku's doing, nor was it influenced by other illusionists.

Of course, we cannot completely rule out the role of supernatural abilities. For example, the power of the "Spider Woman" could instantly teleport him to an unfamiliar place, which is also possible.

Asakawa Riku checked himself over and found no obvious wounds, but his skin was wrinkled and salty from being soaked in seawater.

Although his clothes and pants were still there, all his other personal belongings were missing, including clothes, documents, wallet, and most importantly, his mobile phone.

Unable to contact the outside world, he could only continue walking along this path, hoping to see the bustling scenery of Honolulu.

As he walked, he suddenly wondered if his experience was similar to the content of "Summer of Red Rays".

They're all the same: shipwreck, desert island survival, and encountering a village—

Asakawa Riku stopped in his tracks.

Encountering a village.

Before our eyes, nestled in the highlands of the mountains, lies a village, a sight to behold.

Even Riku Asakawa couldn't help but rub his eyes.

But when I opened my eyes again, those stilted mud houses were still there, unchanged.

...It really is a village!

Asakawa Riku controlled his pounding heart, lowered his steps, and slowly approached, but from his low position, he could only see a corner of the edge.

Coastal villages are typically built on high ground to protect against heavy rain or high tides, and the houses are often stilted, which is a very practical design.

He had intended to spy on the villagers to see if they were Hawaiians or natives of the deserted island, but the moment he saw them—

Asakawa Riku was completely stunned.

...How could that be!

...Isn't this a dream?

How could such a thing happen?

He considered himself to be a fairly composed person when things happened, but what he saw today was a thousand times more absurd than "snow in summer," and he simply couldn't understand it.

The villagers he saw were not tanned foreigners, nor were they primitive and uncouth indigenous people, but rather people with faces very similar to his own.

Young, with Asian skin, student-like age, and youthful and innocent.

These villagers were actually his classmates!

These are the second-year students who went on a school trip with him and disappeared on the ship!

How did they get here first? Was I the last one to wake up?